Game device



United States Patent GAME DEVICE Leonard 0. Hilder, Arlington, Va.Application April 4, 1956, Serial No. 576,514 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-97) Theinvention has relation to game devices of the type wherein an outwardlypropelled ball is returned by an elastic cord, and it pro 'des meanswhereby a ball, so returned, may be caught in a flexible, dishedreceptacle, by suitable manipulation, and again thrown therefrom.

Applicant is aware that balls have been elastically attached to racquetshaving heads of tightly stretched woven strings; and that balls havebeen similarly attached to frames provided with deep pockets of flexiblenetted material. In use, however, neither of these devices are at allsimilar to that herein disclosed. The first is a striking implement,while the other requires no more skill in catching the ball than isrequired to bring the net into its path, and is not adapted to thethrowing of the ball from the net, so that play cannot consist of acontinuous series of throwing and catching motions.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

In these drawings the numeral 1 designates an annular frame providedwith a handle extension 2. These parts may be formed of plastic materialor other suitable substance, such, for instance as wire.

A shallow, dished receptacle 3 of netted twine or other flexiblematerial is fastened to the annular frame, for instance by marginalattachment to one of the plane faces thereof, which would permit thedegree of dishing Patented Apr. 14, 1959 of the receptacle to be variedby passing the net through the annular frame, thus changing the degreeof skill required in catching the ball in the net.

The ball 4 is preferably a light, hollow sphere of celluloid or rubber,and is attached to the frame 1 by an elastic rubber cord 5, which may befrom eighteen inches to two feet in normal length. Preferably, the pointof attachment is in the margin of the annular frame, adjacent to thehandle extension, as it is found in practice that this arrangement givesa better return of the ball. The ball may be approximately a third thediameter of the orifice of the frame, and of a relative diameterpermitting it to lie in the net with its center of gravity below theplane of the frame.

The net, in extended condition, should conform to the contour of asegment of a sphere of an extent, from margin to margin, ofapproximately one third the circumference of such sphere. Thisconformation of the net permits the ball to be thrown therefrom in apath at right angles to the frame without being trapped or deflected bycontact therewith.

In use, the ball, resting in the net, is thrown therefrom with a rollingmotion of the wrist, and the returning ball is caught by a reversedwrist motion, so that it will again lie in the net. When the ball issharply thrown, considerable skill will be needed in recapturing it.

I claim:

A game device comprising an annular frame provided with a handleextension, a net of flexible material marginally secured to said frameto form a dished receptacle conforming, in extended condition, to thecontour of a segment of a sphere of an extent, from margin to margin, ofapproximately one third the circumference of such sphere, a ball of arelative diameter permitting it to lie in the net with its center ofgravity below the plane of the frame, and an elastic cord attached atits extremities to the ball and to the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS957,266 Snow May l0, 1910 1,964,232 Tromblee June 26, 1934 2,471,511Axelrod May 31, 1949

